1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive shaft assembly, and more particularly to a drive shaft assembly comprising a first shaft, a casing having two openings at its axial ends, receiving an end portion of the first shaft through the opening at one end and provided with a first flange on the periphery of the other end, a second shaft provided with a second flange to be joined to the first flange and an end cover with its periphery held between the first and second flanges and adapted to hold a sealing member in association with the first flange.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional drive shaft assembly of the so-called flange coupling type as mentioned above, the flanges are joined together by bolts and nuts. On the other hand, it is necessary to conduct the centering of the flanges for centering the first and second shafts, prior to joining the flanges. This centering is usually conducted with the use of a so-called faucet joint or a socket and spigot joint, in which a spigot provided on one flange is fit in a socket provided on the other flange. This centering method, however, has the following disadvantages.
The slipping of the joined surfaces of the two flanges due to the torque transmitted by one of the shafts is prevented solely by the frictional force between the flanges joined by bolts. Accordingly, in a case of high torque, it is necessary to use bolts having a larger size to prevent loosening of the bolts, and consequently, it is inevitable to enlarge the outer diameters of the flanges. This is disadvantageous especially for a drive shaft assembly of an automobile, where the space for installment is rather limited.
In a case of a drive shaft assembly in which an end cover is provided between the flanges, to close together with a sealing member one of the openings of the casing, it is necessary to form said socket and spigot along the outer peripheries of the respective flanges. Consequently, the outer diameters of the flanges will have to be made larger, thus leading to the same disadvantage from the viewpoint of space, as mentioned above.